Fidelity to Open More Branches in Sun Belt

Fidelity Investments will open six additional branches in the Sun Belt this coming year, after having opened 10 in 2004, Boston Business Journal reports. Three are planned for California (Delmar, Roseville and Santa Monica), two for Florida (Jacksonville and Wellington) and one for Durham, North Carolina.

Fidelity views these as areas of growth and opportunity, said David Giunta, senior vice president for Fidelity's eastern region. In selecting these cities, Fidelity also looked for pockets of wealth, a large number of existing customers and projections for strong population growth, particularly among retirees, Giunta said. "Investor centers play an important role in Fidelity's growth," he added.